Baseline Characteristics
| Parameter | Ex-smokers (negative control) | COPD patients | Metabolic syndrome patients (positive control) | P |
| n | 7 | 7 | 5 | |
| Age (y) | 66 ± 6 | 62 ± 6 | 61 ± 5 | 0.239 |
| Smoking history (pack-years) | 0.0001 | |||
| Median | 10 | 40 | 0 | |
| Range | 2–15 | 20–77 | 0 | |
| BMI (kg·m−2) | 26.4 ± 3.9 | 20.5 ± 3.5 | 31.4 ± 7.3 | 0.005 |
| FEV1 (L) | 3.1 ± 0.8 | 1.2 ± 0.4 | 3.6 ± 0.7 | 0.0001 |
| FEV1% predicted | 108 ± 26 | 41 ± 13 | 109 ± 19 | 0.001 |
| FEV1-to-FVC ratio | 0.78 ± 0.01 | 0.43 ± 0.12 | 0.79 ± 0.12 | 0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 134 ± 8 | 138 ± 15 | 140 ± 10 | 0.621 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 79 ± 5 | 83 ± 9 | 87 ± 5 | 0.161 |
| Mean arterial pressure (mm Hg) | 98 ± 5 | 101 ± 9 | 105 ± 7 | 0.187 |
| AIx (%) | 32 ± 10 | 25 ± 12 | 24 ± 11 | 0.272 |
| aPWV (ms−1) | 8.7 ± 1.7 | 10.6 ± 2.8 | 9.4 ± 1.5 | 0.280 |
| Serum glucose (mmol·L−1) | 5.2 ± 1.0 | 5.1 ± 1.1 | 6.2 ± 1.2 | 0.186 |
| Serum cholesterol (mmol·L−1) | 5.51 ± 0.9 | 5.0 ± 1.2 | 5.9 ± 1.5 | 0.418 |
| Serum triglyceride (mmol·L−1) | 1.1 ± 0.3 | 0.93 ± 0.3 | 1.62 ± 0.4 | 0.043 |
| Interleukin-6 (pg·mL−1)* | 2.88 ± 1.62 | 5.62 ± 3.09 | 4.68 ± 4.27 | 0.258 |
↵* Geometric mean.
BMI = body mass index; FEV1 = forced expiratory volume in first second; FVC = forced vital capacity; AIx = augmentation index.
Values are expressed as mean ± SD unless otherwise stated.